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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23174017">Penelope</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mychakk/pseuds/mychakk'>mychakk</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sherlock (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Do Not Post To Another Website, Drama, F/M, Feels, Romance, What-If, lots of feels, post s3e3, posted on ff.net in 2015 or so, written pre-TAB</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 14:41:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,787</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23174017</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mychakk/pseuds/mychakk</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Original summary:<br/><i>On the night before his exile Sherlock made a promise to Molly that if she waited for him six months, he'd do everything he can to return to her from his suicide mission. There was no Moriarty's Broadcast and the six months deadline is coming to pass soon. Will he keep his promise to her? For lilsherlockian1975. </i></p><p>The last of my Sherlolly stories reposted from ff.net.</p><p>According to the notes in the orignal version this is actually my very first Sherlolly story that I've ever written.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sherlock Holmes/Molly Hooper</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>76</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Penelope</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilsherlockian1975/gifts">lilsherlockian1975</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is the last of my Sherlock stories published on ff.net and yet not reposted here. So I'm finally doing it, (thx to the craziness with the pandemic... stay safe everyone!). I've written it almost... 5 years ago. Wow. It's still unbeta-read, but I've smoothed the grammar and spelling as much as I could, seeing as my English's improved since then. Hope you all enjoy this!</p><p><b>Original notes:</b><br/><b>Disclaimer:</b> I don't own BBC Sherlock nor the characters. Just playing with them. The parts in italics are from <b>lilsherlockian1975's</b> story <i>Journeys</i>, chapter no 4, used with permission. I don't own them either.</p><p>AN Hello!</p><p>This one shot is dedicated to <b>lilsherlockian1975</b> for encouraging me to write it myself instead of sending it to her as a prompt. It was actually inspired by her series <i>Journeys</i>, chapter 4, parts in italics are direct quotes from that story. Honey, thank you for giving us your wonderful stories, may there be more in the future! :)</p><p>This is un-beta'd. All mistakes on me. Please note, English is not my native language.</p><p>Now, onto the story, I hope you will all enjoy it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Penelope</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>xxx</strong>
</p><p>The Spring had come and went giving place to the hot and sunny Summer. The occasional rain cleansed the London air while tourists doubled, and Londoners packed to leave for their holidays. Time went by and life went on.</p><p>Just not for one woman.</p><p>As the days on the calendar passed, the dreaded deadline of the six months neared. And one Molly Hopper had been experiencing way too much on the emotional rollercoaster that had become the past few months of her life.</p><p>Almost six months ago, shortly after Christmas, her deepest dreams and nightmares cumulated into one evening of fullest happiness and cutting sorrow. In the most heartwarming and heartbreaking way the love of her life had finally opened up to her, only to be torn away the next morning and shipped to the East Europe for an upcoming suicide mission.</p><p>Just the mere memory of that precious evening and night broke her heart and made her shiver. But she had made a promise and she would keep it. Not only till the deadline. No, she felt she'd keep it till the end of her life.</p><p>
  <em>...Six months, Molly, give me six months, before you move on...</em>
</p><p>How could she ever move on from <em>him</em>? Hadn't she tried this the last time? Hadn't she given herself the pick-up talk back then, convincing herself he may never return after his faked death, and even if he did he may still not choose her? That it was the wisest to move on and live the life she was meant to have?</p><p>Little good it had done her back then!</p><p>Oh, she <em>had</em> tried to move on, she really had. She had dated, she'd even got <em>engaged</em>. And yet, even without any <em>promise</em> from him back then, even without any <em>memory</em> to sustain her hope, it had not been enough to make her truly move on. She was<em> his</em>, she had always been, and she knew she would always be.</p><p>
  <em>...After six months go find yourself a nice boring man and have lots of little Molly-looking babies and be happy without me...</em>
</p><p>Be happy.</p><p>Ha! Without him?!</p><p>She didn't think it was possible.</p><p>And she knew she never wanted to find out if she actually could.</p><p>But... she might not have a choice. Any day now-</p><p>The enormous anxiety washing over her sometimes was too much to bear. Her breath cut off as she struggled with the idea of never seeing him again. Never hearing the banging of the morgue doors as he barged in, demanding to see the latest victim; never smelling him as he leaned over her shoulders while the experiment she had been conducting for him concluded before their eyes; never hearing him shooting deductions after deductions at her and all the unsuspecting bystanders; never feeling his arms around her…</p><p>Anyway, most of the time she was optimistic.</p><p>She really tried to be as she <em>had to</em>.</p><p>
  <em>...Please look after Mrs. Hudson for me...</em>
</p><p>So she did.</p><p>With a smile and kind words she visited the older woman regularly and shared an afternoon tea with her. They sometimes went shopping. And if Mrs. H. had been a little surprised at first, she, nevertheless, fairly quickly embraced her into her regular social circle.</p><p>She even kept in touch with the Watsons, all three of them. She'd quickly learned they had no clue of the true character of Sherlock's mission in Easter Europe. They lived in a happy bubble of awaiting for his return – just a standard mission for the Government - they repeated with an exasperated yet fond smile.</p><p>She had never felt more out of place than when she visited with John and Mary nowadays.</p><p>But she still did it anyway and kept mum because she could not bear the thought of bringing the burden of anxiety and guilt on the happy little family that Sherlock had given up everything for. But sometimes... she wished... she could hate them for what they had and she didn't. For what could have been hers if only-</p><p>But then, she supposed she wasn't like that. And so she enjoyed dinners with the adult Watsons, cuddled with the littlest one, and regularly shared afternoon tea with Mrs. H. And she smiled and reminisced with them and pretended that inside she hadn't been bleeding and dying with each passing day as the dreaded date came closer and closer.</p><p>
  <em>...Please give me one chance to come home...</em>
</p><p>She did! She really did!</p><p>She hoped she had given him thousands of thousands chances to come home.</p><p>And so she'd been waiting.</p><p>She'd kept on believing.</p><p>
  <em>No.</em>
</p><p>Not just believing, she's <em>sure</em>.</p><p>He'll be back. He said he'd do everything in his power to get back, to return home, to return to <em>her</em> and she <em>knew</em> there was nothing he couldn't do. If he had set his mind to something he'd get it done and she'd have him in her arms once more.</p><p>He <em>would</em> be back.</p><p>
  <em>...Don't date Gordon Lestrade...</em>
</p><p>As if she'd ever want to! And it's <em>Greg</em>.</p><p>She liked the guy. A lot actually. They were friends, easy comrades sharing a mutual exasperation for the same brilliant man and sharing an easygoing friendship of mutual interests and characteristics. But she'd never felt anything more toward him. Oh, she knew he'd found her attractive and if she'd only made a slight indication of interest in him, he'd probably seize the opportunity right away. At least that had been the case in the past. Now she felt Greg knew there wouldn't be any place for other men in her life than <em>him</em>.</p><p>And she was glad for that. It was one suitor less to politely let down.</p><p>Some of her friends didn't understand her recent choices. How could they? No one knew what had truly happened that night. And no one ever would. It had been<em> their</em> night and it'd been the most precious memory she had, she'd not taint it by spilling it to her gossiping – even if generally liked by her – friends.</p><p>But that leaves them with the impression they could set her up with every available guy they knew.</p><p>Well, they can't!</p><p>
  <em>...I know what I said, but if you wait for me I will do everything in my power to come back to you, I swear to you that I will try...</em>
</p><p>Of course she'd wait. Of <em>course</em>.</p><p>Even if he hadn't asked her she would be waiting for him till the day she die.</p><p>And so life went on, as she was suspended in time. But that had been her choice. And it didn't really matter as long as he came back.</p><p>She was the modern Penelope awaiting the return of her Odysseus.</p><p>
  <em>...The truth is you are the only thing that can actually bring me home...</em>
</p><p>There was a knock on the door to her apartment. She looked at the clock. It was quite a late hour. She wasn't expecting anyone.</p><p>She looked at the calendar and at The Date - circled in red glaring back at her - so close to pass now.</p><p>
  <em>No.</em>
</p><p>The knock was repeated and tentatively she got up from the couch she had been spending on many evenings lately. Her heartbeat accelerated, breaths shortened as she neared the door. Could it be? Is it-? But what if-?</p><p>She looked through the peephole and-</p><p>Mycroft Holmes stood before her.</p><p>
  <em>No.</em>
</p><p>Her knees weakened, as her breath hitched. With trembling arms she sagged against the door, looking for support.</p><p>
  <em>No.</em>
</p><p><em>Please,</em> no.</p><p>This couldn't be-</p><p>"Oh, for God's sake, move!" She heard a scuffle and a mumbled yelp from the other side. "Molly! Open up, it's me!"</p><p><em>She's hearing things; voices she wants to hear...</em> passed over her mind as she tried to calm down her hyperventilation.</p><p>"Come on, Molly!" There was more banging on the door. "I know you are in there. I know you're standing on the other side of the door and I won't knock it out with you there."</p><p>"As if you could anyway!" She heard Mycroft Holmes state disdainfully.</p><p>"Sherlock?" She whispered disbelievingly, looking up at the closed door separating her from-</p><p>"Who else? Will you make me wait outside the whole night?" He sounded whizzed and exasperated.</p><p>And oh, so <em>familiar</em> and <em>real</em>!</p><p>Within the next beat of the heart she scrambled to open the doors. Her trembling fingers fumbled with the chain but finally she'd managed to unlock it and swung the doors wide open.</p><p>And there he <em>was</em>.</p><p>Beaten up, thinner than he had been after his return from death almost two years ago, and being supported from the side by a government agent, bet there he <em>was</em>.</p><p>He looked <em>awful</em>.</p><p>His bright eyes twinkled as he gazed at her and a soft smile played on his lips.</p><p>He was the most <em>beautiful</em> sight she had ever been graced with in her whole life.</p><p>"Hello, Molly." His smooth baritone was like a balm on her bruised and hurting psyche.</p><p>One of her hands shot up to her mouth as a sob escaped her throat. She took a tentative step toward him, her other hand stretched out to touch his face.</p><p>"Sherlock?" She whispered his name reverently.</p><p>He smiled at her gently. "I knew you would wait for me."</p><p>Tears filled her eyes as she smiled in return. "I would have waited my whole life for you."</p><p>The look on his face become somber as he took a small step toward her, leaving the support of the agent. "Even if it would have taken me my whole life, I would have come back to you." He vowed gravely.</p><p>"I know." She nodded, tears spilling out. "I've always known that."</p><p>He moved his arms to embrace her and she sank into his chest. He whimpered in pain but when she tried to untangle herself from him, his arms tightened their hold on her, keeping her as close as possible.</p><p>"I love you," he said into her hair. "I'll spend the rest of our lives telling and showing you that."</p><p>She sobbed once more against his chest. "I love you too, I love you so much. Thank the Lord, you are home."</p><p>"I am. I am finally home."</p><p>Standing on the side, watching the scene with an unreadable expression, Mycroft Holmes allowed himself to show a ghost of a smile around his mouth.</p><p>Never before had he been so glad to be wrong.</p><p>And, not only about his estimation of the outcome of a government mission, no! Never before had he been so glad to be wrong of the role love played in one's life.</p><p>He could concede.</p><p>Caring could – and this case: was – an advantage.</p><p>
  <strong>xxx</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>End</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>xxx</strong>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>*insert puppy dog eyes* Reviews make my day ;) </p><p><b>Original ending notes:</b><br/>AN: Hope you enjoyed. :)</p><p>All reviews are greatly appreciated. This was my first Sherlolly one-shot.</p><p>Hopefully, until next time!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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